How to Raise Pygmy Goats

Pygmy goats are cute and cuddly and provide many valuable services. For example, they keep the vegetation on your property cut, they produce natural fertilizers that you can use for your garden, and they also help control populations of fleas and ticks on your property.

Instructions

1. Build your herd. Pygmy goats, like other goats, are herding animals. To preserve their mental and physical health, you will need at least two pygmy goats for your herd.

2. Create a secure and safe enclosure. Pygmy goats are skilled at demolition, so use cattle fencing to keep them in a specific area and keep out predators. Make sure you provide the pygmy goats with enough space for play, from a half acre for two goats to several acres for larger herds. Large dog houses provide great daytime shelter from wind and bad weather. A barn stall is needed for night time and winter shelter.

3. Feed pygmy goats a well-balanced diet. During the spring and summer, your goats will get most of their nourishment from grasses and brush. However, you will need to supplement their diet with goat rations to ensure that they're getting all the minerals they need. When wild grasses and brush are not available, feed your goats sweet feed and goat rations.

4. Worm your pygmy goats every couple of months.

5. Limit how often you breed the pygmy goats. While pygmy goats can give birth more than once a year, it is not recommended to breed them more than once a year. You will produce much healthier kids with a single pregnancy a year. Does should be about 18 months old before they are bred. If your does are having a hard time feeding their kids, bottle-feed the babies when necessary.

6. Provide toys for your pygmy goats. Picnic tables are a great recreational item for goats. The pygmies can climb on the table and even chew on it. Other toys include boulders, balls and tires. Select items that are non-toxic and capable of withstanding abuse from the goats.

Resources

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